A Wayward Blonde
by Redyoshi14
Summary: Tiny feet stumble on an unsteady road. As Naruto more or less trips his way through life, he shifts the previously predetermined. Whether those shifts fix or breaks things depends on who you ask.
1. Chapter 1

_**If you're a fan of mine, you will note that I made mention of a story that included less humor. **_

_**I noted this in "One Hit Ninja" a couple months ago. **_

_**This is that story. A better synopsis of it would be an AU. I almost exclusively write AU's, but this one is my attempt at building a world whose foundations cannot be altered on a whim. This isn't crack, this is an attempt at me trying to write seriously and broaden my horizons as a writer. I apologize if that is not what you are looking for. If it is humor that you want, "One Hit Ninja" will be updated shortly. **_

_**Until then, please enjoy my newest story and let me know how it is.**_

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A Wayward Blonde

Chapter 1:

Removing a Stick

Tiny feet made shaky steps down a dirt road. Every step was a precarious situation, threatening to end in tangled limbs and scraped knees, but three-year old Naruto Uzumaki wasn't bothered. The people at the orphanage didn't bother to help him learn to walk, so he learned on his own. He didn't need soft, unintelligible words or praise. He would do it on his own, and he would do it for himself.

The toddler, barely even coming up to some people's knees, stumbled his way down the road. The adults rushed around him, sparing him nary a glance in their busy rush, and eventually a natural seam in the tide of people was formed.

For all the hustle and bustle of midday in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, it was as if Naruto was all on his own in the Main Street.

Still, the blond didn't mind. He was focused on his task. One foot shakily landed in front of the other, and soon the boy had adopted a steady rhythm. Sure, he wobbled and almost fell a few times, but a half-hearted nudge from passing strangers was all he needed to be put back on track.

Most adults knew who the kid was; the whiskers made Naruto Uzumaki: Demon Container hard to mistake. Still, he was just a baby right now, and adorable at that. They would leave him be. For now.

XxX

The midday sun traced a lazy gait in the sky, and after a while the village was tinted orange by the setting sun. The young Naruto panted, almost out of breath from his long trek, and finally sat down. His chubby legs ached, but he knew that they would be fine in a few minutes. What he didn't know was where he was, and a panicked glance at his surroundings only made things worse.

Naruto had traveled from the orphanage many times in his life. He wasn't hated, just ignored, and a curious toddler had to find ways to entertain themselves. When he had wandered off before, however, he had typically crawled, and a passing adult usually took it upon themselves to return him home before he got too far.

No one stopped him this time and Naruto, too enthralled by his progress, didn't think to stop. He had wandered, and wandered far, and now had no idea where he was. Tall trees with bushy leaves and an endless amount of shrubbery lined great, long walls that extended as far as he could see. The walls were tall as well as long, and little Naruto almost hurt his neck trying to see the top of it. He turned around, hoping to see something he recognized, only to see a distinct lack of buildings for a while. The hustle of people had fallen away long ago, leaving the boy alone.

Naruto was lost. He was confused. He was barely a child. He did the only thing he could.

He cried.

His wails echoed off the great wall in front of him and back into the village proper. It was sundown, however, and the people therein wouldn't be able to hear him over the thoroughfare. Regardless, the child cried, hoping for an answer to appear. He was alone, and hungry, and just slightly cold in the autumn breeze. He wanted food. He wanted companionship. He wanted anything but the gnawing feeling of hopelessness tearing away at his soul.

Then a man was in front of him. He was an adult, quite like the orphanage caretaker. Instead of the cold scowl and fixed frown of the lady who looked after him however, there was genuine confusion in the man's face.

"Who are you?" the man asked. His eyes were white, like a ghost's. His face was angular, and he too wore a scowl. He didn't seem cold, however. Not naturally. He looked like he wanted to be, but something in his eyes told Naruto that he wasn't. "Why are you here? Where are your parents?"

Naruto didn't hear all of the man's questions. He didn't hear any of them really. His cries had barely calmed down and he was mostly relieved that there was anyone there at all. Regardless, he was taught to always introduce himself when meeting new people, so that is what he did.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said amid sniffles. The tears running down his face were warm. "I'm lost."

The man huffed. He glared at the boy, but gave up on that after a while. He crouched, trying to get on eye level with the blond but coming out a few inches taller still.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the Happy Ninja Orphanage? How did you get all the way out here?" It wasn't a secret to the adults, especially the ninja, of who Naruto Uzumaki was. Even if the boy's appearance wasn't well known, his name certainly was. From there, it wasn't hard to find out where he lived.

"I walked," Naruto said, just a little bit of defensive pride eking through his sobs. "I taught myself and walked myself all the way here!"

The man nodded. He chuckled, only once, and rustled the boy's hair. "I'm sure you did. But you are very far from home. You belong all the way on the other side of the village."

Naruto, who had started to calm down, was upset once more. He hiccupped once, then twice, and tears started to pool in his eyes once more. The man, seeing what was happening, acted quickly. He scooped the young boy up into his arms and cradled him close.

"It is fine, young Naruto. You walked very far and did very well." The man then looked out into the horizon. The sun was almost finished setting, and it would be nighttime soon. "However, I think it is a tad late to escort you back home." The man then frowned. He looked pensive, as if arguing with himself, before looking at Naruto. His eyes were determined, as if he had come to a decision and was going to follow through with it no matter what.

"Naruto?" the man asked. The boy had stifled his cries. "How do you feel about staying the night? I'm sure your caretakers won't mind you having a sleepover."

The boy, barely old enough to understand the concept of a sleepover, simply nodded. He wasn't saying yes, really, he was just agreeing to the whims of an adult.

The man smiled. He turned from where he was and started walking along the great wall.

"Excellent, young Naruto." The man was beaming now, and Naruto couldn't help but smile as well. "You've come at an opportune time. We had just started dinner. Are you hungry?"

Naruto was starving. He hadn't eaten since that morning and his stomach was roaring.

The man chuckled, though this time it was much sincerer. "Wonderful. I hope your appetite is as massive as it sounds then, because the Hyuuga's dinners are legendary."

Naruto wasn't sure what a Hyuuga was, but he supposed that free food was free food.

"By the way, I've never introduced myself, have I? My name is Hizashi. Hizashi Hyuuga."

XxX

Naruto wasn't sure what to think of these Hyuuga. They were quite unlike anyone he had ever seen before. They wore all white, for one, and while Naruto didn't hate the color, he didn't think it was something to wear completely. There were so many more vibrant, exciting colors out there to wear!

Adding to their unusual taste, was the way they acted. They all moved stiffly, as if someone had glued a board to their backs. Their faces were all as if they were set in stone, and everyone, bar none, frowned as they took their seats around the dinner table. They sat as stiffly as they walked, and soon the table was full of a bunch of straight-backed adults. Of all the adults, only one or two children dotted the table. They attempted to replicate their parents, what with their pouty faces and almost rigid posture, but they failed, looking almost constipated as a result.

Hizashi took a seat one seat away from Naruto. Between them sat another child. He was slightly bigger than Naruto, and probably just slightly older. Still, his baby fat had already started to melt away, showing the barest hints of high cheek bones. The boy took one look at Naruto, and a small smile came to his face. It vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and the boy was back to looking as stoic as the rest of his family.

"Neji, this is young Naruto. Naruto, this is my son. His name is Neji."

Naruto nodded. He stared at the boy. "It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

Their greeting was cut short, however, when the door to the dining room opened once more. A man walked in, and Naruto had to double take. He looked almost exactly like Hizashi. Everything about him, his build, his face, his stiff-backed walking, was exactly the same as the man sitting not too far from Naruto. However...

Unlike Hizashi, who only attempted to look mean, the man who walked in looked genuinely cold. His eyes were calculating, and it appeared as if he cared little for anyone in the room as he scanned over those in attendance. His eyes fell on Naruto, and the boy almost recoiled from the attention. He held his ground, however, and soon the scary man's eyes were elsewhere.

All noise stopped upon the man's entry, and everyone in attendance rose from their seats.

"Greetings, Lord Hiashi," a woman closest to the door said. She bowed deeply as he passed by. The man paid her no attention, sweeping past her with little more than a glance. The woman who followed after the scary man, however, chuckled.

"As pomp and punctual as always, Ariana," the lady said. She waved off the woman's bow and greeted her with a smile. "There is no need for such things here, however. This is a private dinner, no? Close family only?"

The woman, Ariana, rose from her bow with a smile. "It is only about as private as the door is open. Allow me?"

Ariana then shuffled around her friend. She shut the door behind the scary man and turned with a huff. "There, now we have our privacy. You look wonderful, Aranea."

Aranea, the lady who followed the scary man, chuckled once more. A hand ran over her stomach, and it was now that Naruto noticed that it was bulging. "I certainly hope so! Lately all I feel is fat and bloated."

Ariana laughed, this time openly, and those in attendance could only join in. Like a spell, every member of the table relaxed, and all the boards glued to their backs vanished. Conversation continued, and soon there was smiles all around.

All around, except for the scary man. His face twitched, but otherwise stayed scrunched up in a scowl.

"Oh come now, Aranea! There is a certain beauty in being pregnant! Of course, not many women can pull it off... but you... You look fabulous! Isn't that right, Hiashi?"

The scary man turned. His eyes remained hard, but a smirk appeared. "Why, of course. I remind her every night."

"Atta boy!" Ariana cackled. She turned back to the pregnant lady. Her gaze traveled downwards. "And what of you, little Hinata? Don't you think that your mother looks very pretty?"

From behind Aranea's legs peeked a little girl. Her eyes were downcast, and she clung to the fabric of her mother's kimono like it was a lifeline. She looked up to Ariana and opened her mouth. She looked like she was to say something, but at the last moment held back. She ducked back behind her mother, earning a chuckle from Ariana.

"Shy thing, isn't she?" the woman said. Hiashi's frown returned.

"She is. That's going to be a problem in the future. She is the heiress to the clan. The elders won't like her passivity."

Ariana scoffed. She waved her hand, and with it seemed to wave off Hiashi's concerns. "Pish posh, Hiashi! Those stuffy old crones' opinions won't matter when Hinata is the next Head."

Here Hiashi raised an eyebrow. He looked geniunely bemused. "And what makes you say that? You know as well as I do that the Elders don't budge on anything. They won't ever change."

Ariana nodded. She approached Hiashi, arms akimbo, with a certain glint in her eye. Naruto saw, and immediately decided that he liked this glint. Hiashi, however, didn't, and he took a step back.

"Aye, you're right," the woman said. "They won't ever change. But they _will_ pass."

Hiashi looked affronted. "Ariana! That's heresy!"

"And it is also true!" Ariana continued. Her gaze turned from Hiashi to those assembled. "I'm pretty sure that I'm not alone in my distaste for the way that those old bats run this place. Who here hates the way that things are?"

Those assembled voiced their opinions. Their accordance was soft, but it rang throughout the room nonetheless.

"Proper posture, constant perfection." Ariana pulled at her kimono. "Stuffy white clothes that were outdated years ago. Face it, Hiashi. The way that things are now is antiquated. It is old-fashioned. It is out of date."

"It is tradition," Hiashi countered, but even Naruto could see that the man's heart wasn't in the argument. His eyes darted from left to right, no doubt looking for a counter-argument that simply wasn't there, even to him.

"What it is, is 'not working.' It stopped working shortly after the Warring Clans era, and it is barely allowing us to trudge along now."

Ariana's words sparked groans, most of them approving, and Naruto found himself joining in. Soon the whole room was a collective groan of assent, and Ariana turned, her grin positively shit-eating, back to Hiashi.

"Aye, cousin. You're the clan head. Aren't you supposed to be changing things?"

Hiashi groaned, but he conceded the point. He raised a hand, and the room silenced. With a long-suffering sigh, he stepped before the room.

"Yes, I am the clan head, but since times immemorial the decisions have been made by the clan head and the elders as a whole. While I may not like it, should the elders decide something overwhelmingly, there is nothing I could do to change it. It is... tradition."

The whole room erupted in moans, the men and women assembled looking aggravated. Even the pregnant lady sighed. That didn't stop her from walking forward and capturing Hiashi's hand in her own.

"Politics are such a stressful affair," Ariana said. Her smile was beautiful, and Naruto couldn't help but be charmed by the aura she released. The room once more fell into silence, and once it did she continued. "Let us not muddy the good times and festivities we arranged for here with such nonsense. We are here, not to talk politics or clan heads, but to enjoy ourselves outside the watchful eyes of our colleagues and subordinates. I for one could use the break."

The room laughed. The mood once more returned to being jovial.

"While I cannot drink, for obvious reasons..." here the lady rubbed her stomach once more. The room was filled with the sound of chuckling. "I don't see why we cannot enjoy ourselves. A toast, to another new year!"

Here, the assembled reached out and grabbed ornate glass cups filled with some kind of clear liquid. They raised their glasses together, before sipping at it.

"Here," Hizashi said. He handed both Naruto and Neji a cup. Naruto recognized the liquid inside immediately. "It may not be sake, but I think apple juice is a fair tradeoff?"

Both Neji and Naruto nodded. Neji lifted his cup as well, toasting like the adults, before sipping at his drink. Naruto downed his immediately. The action caused him to start coughing, and soon the attention was on the only blond in the room once more.

"I've been meaning to ask, Hizashi, but who is that boy?" Ariana asked. She edged around the table and was before Naruto in the blink of an eye. "He looks familiar, but for the life of me I cannot figure out why."

Hizashi smiled, but the act seemed plastic. Fake. Not real. "Ah, right. I was going to introduce him once we'd all sat down. Maybe gotten some more sake in our stomachs?"

And like that, a pin had dropped. Everyone was silent once more. Ariana rounded on the man, her hands holstered firmly on her hips.

"Hizashi Hyuuga. I know that tone. What did you do? Who is this boy?"

Here even the scary man stepped in. He approached the table, and pulled out his chair. He sat in it, but he didn't look concerned. Just... prepared.

"Yes, brother. Who did you bring to our dinner table?"

"Are you sure you don't want some more alcohol? Just a tad?"

"Tell us, Hizashi."

"Okay, fine!" Hizashi pouted. It was odd seeing the look on a man whose face resembled the scary man's. "Boy, introduce yourself."

And then all eyes were on Naruto. He looked around and saw the eyes, all ghost-like and blank, trained on him. His throat locked up, and he was stuck in a weird position of both wanting to speak and not being able to.

Eventually a small hand embraced his own, and the little girl, Hinata, appeared at his side. She wasn't looking at him, but that did nothing to diminish the fact that she was holding his hand.

"I-It doesn't feel good," she started. "When everyone is looking at you, right? I feel better when someone is holding my hand. I could hold your hand for you..."

Naruto looked at the girl. The first thought that popped into his head was that she was weird. Regardless, he did feel better. He turned to the adults and spoke.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. It is nice to meet you all."

And just like that, it was silent, only more. Naruto wasn't sure how things became even more quiet, as no one was speaking, but somehow the silence was more so. Like there was an extra something there.

Then it was broken. Everyone was yelling over everyone.

"Hizashi, what the _hell_ did you—"

"Of all the stupid things you could have done—"

"You're a raving lunatic, Hizashi!"

And more. The assembled Hyuuga all but yelled at the man, and said target took their ire without flinching. The yelling continued for a few minutes before, finally, Hiashi stopped it. One hand rubbed at his temple while the other rose into the air. The chatter stopped immediately, and Hiashi looked to his brother. His eyes drooped, and if he was anything other than exasperated it was hard to tell.

"Hizashi," Hiashi said. The man in question looked to his brother. "You do know how the elders feel about the boy?"

Hizashi nodded. "I also know that all of those assembled here care very little for what the elders feel."

"What if they caught you bringing the boy here?" Hiashi asked. His brother scoffed.

"We would be in hot water for being here at all. Them adding more to my pot would hardly phase me."

Hiashi scoffed. He rubbed at his temple again, but otherwise seemed done trying to interrogate his otherwise errant brother. Ariana, however, saw no such need to restrain herself.

"Hizashi?" the woman asked. She waited for the man to look to her. "You're a fucking idiot."

The man chuckled and raised his glass once more.

"To fucking idiots."

The room toasted alongside him.

XxX

The pregnant lady, Aranea, closed the door as silently as she could. The lights from the hallway still shone through the small crack she used to look in the room with.

"You three sleep peacefully, now," she said. The small smile on her face was back, but it somehow conveyed just as much emotion as a full one. It spoke of warm, unconditional love and acceptance, all without saying a single word.

Naruto found that he quite liked the feeling.

The two children beside him nodded. Hinata was on one side of him. She was small, almost smaller than Naruto, as she wiggled herself down as far as she could into the blanket. On Naruto's other side was the boy he had first met, Neji. He was more prim and proper. The blankets only came up to his chest, and he looked to be trying his hardest to seem adult-like. He was stiff even now.

"Yes, mother," Hinata said. Her words were quiet, little more than a whisper. Still, Aranea heard her, and her smile increased just a little bit.

"Yes, Lady Aranea," Neji said. To this, the woman chuckled. She said nothing else, however, and instead her gaze fell to Naruto.

"You will be nice, right little one?" the woman asked, and for once Naruto felt compelled to answer. He nodded his head rapidly, a strange feeling of apprehension welling up inside of him. He didn't want to disappoint this lady.

"I will sleep well, lady."

Neji turned to the blond, and for a second he looked scandalized. The lady only chuckled, however.

"It is quite alright, Neji. If at all possible, I would like it if you dropped the formalities as well." Neji turned back to her, and his face scrunched up. If Naruto had to describe the boy, he would say he was conflicted. "But I see you were raised far too well. No matter. Just get some rest, you three. Hizashi will be here early tomorrow morning to wake you two up and get you out of here. Since you have to wake up early, you need to sleep early too. No playing. Go right to bed. Understood?"

The three children nodded, all of them tucked into Hinata's bed like three peas in a pod. Seeing their compliance, the woman nodded, and gently closed the door all the way. The room fell into a silence, and Naruto looked around.

The two Hyuuga had their eyes closed, no doubt intent to keep their promise to Aranea. Naruto pouted, before reaching out towards them.

He had seen the other kids in the orphanage do this from time to time, and now that he finally had other kids willing to be around him, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

He clutched the two children to him, wrapping them up in a deep hug under the blankets. Neji stiffened, but otherwise didn't move to escape the boy's clutches. Hinata stiffened as well, but unlike Neji cuddled closer to him once she got over her shock. The light of the moon just barely trickled in from the window beside her bed, and illuminated her face just enough to see her cheeks turn pink.

Naruto, however, noticed none of this. All he noticed was the warmth he got from their bodies.

Naruto decided that he liked this warmth.

XxX

Naruto awoke not to screaming, but to something far less pleasant. The warmth the lulled him to sleep, or at least half of it, was almost wrenched from his arms. Naruto, however, was quite a stubborn child. From years of having his toys stolen from him in the orphanage, the boy had learned to keep an iron grip on his belongings, even when he was knocked out. It was for this reason that when something attempted to snatch Hinata from him, that something suddenly had two more children along for the ride.

In case it wasn't obvious, Naruto's iron grip extended to his grip on Neji as well. Like a chain the blond boy kept all three of the children linked.

The something that snatched Hinata, a man dressed all in black, panicked as the chain of children woke up. He had the physical ability to maybe steal one child, but all three of them measured up to almost eighty pounds together. He could lift that, easily, but all three would make for a less stealthy getaway. Also he wasn't expecting the boy to hang on so tightly. When he pulled he hadn't accounted for the added weight, and as such toppled over, out of Hinata's window, and onto the front lawn.

Neji was the first to understand what was happening. He was on his feet in mere seconds, and in a rudimentary fighting position.

Hinata was the second to find out what was going on. She wasn't even three yet, and as such did the first thing that came to her mind.

She cried. She howled and screamed and cried.

The crying Hinata finally roused Naruto. He was already awake, but he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep. Upon seeing that someone had brushed him from his sleep, and his warmth, the boy zeroed in on the unforgivable criminal. Upon seeing him, the boy's eyes narrowed. The kidnapper was able to make out a faint purple tint to his previously blue eyes before the toddler latched onto his arm with abnormally sharp teeth.

The kidnapper yelled, the boy having broken skin, and was shocked just long enough for Neji to rush forward. The boy's movements were clumsy, but for the purpose of the attack it was enough.

"Two palms!" the boy yelled, and deft little fingers hit the man's thighs. The young Hyuuga boy reared back to attack again, but his foot slipped on the freshly watered grass, and he tumbled to the ground. Still, his job was done, and the kidnapper also collapsed. He attempted to regain his posture, but before he could he was surrounded by more blank eyed people.

The gathered men and women were furious, if the veins surrounding their eyes meant anything. The kidnapper swallowed, and attempted to speak.

"I plead clemency?" he asked in a shaky voice.

The assembled clan did not answer with words.

XxX

"Naruto? Wake up!" a cheery voice called. Before he could answer he was being shaken by tiny hands. He rose from his nap on the Hyuuga lawn reluctantly, and turned to his assailant with a grumpy face and even grumpier words.

Then he saw Hinata's beaming face, and suddenly he couldn't keep himself mad. He reached out and grabbed her hand, as he was wont to do whenever they hung out, and together the two sat on the grass and enjoyed the afternoon sun.

It had been two weeks since that weird man attempted to kidnap Hinata. When the adults stripped the man of his mask after thoroughly knocking him out, they started saying something about clouds or whatever. Naruto didn't particularly care. He dragged the other two children with him back to bed, calmed Hinata down, and forced them close to each other. He fell asleep shortly after with both of them snuggled possessively to his chest.

He hadn't heard about the incident since, so it probably didn't matter much anyway.

Since then Naruto had been invited back to the Hyuuga mansion multiple times, and every time he was there he coddled the two Hyuuga children close to him like oversized teddy bears. With a nightly ritual like that, it was hard _not_ to become friends, and thus the trio of kids was formed.

Sure enough, soon after Hinata had run out to greet him, Neji came ambling out as well. He either didn't hear or ignored his father as he crushed countless blades of grass to reach the two. He skidded to a stop as gracefully as he could before collapsing onto the grass. He extended both his hands, as did Naruto and Hinata, and soon they were all linked.

"It is going to be another nice day, isn't it, Naruto? Lady Hinata?"

Here Naruto grimaced.

"Didn't she tell you to call her Hinata?" The blond then pouted. "Idiot."

Neji pouted back, and soon Hinata did as well, if only to be a part of the group. They pouted for about a minute before they couldn't hold it anymore. They collapsed into gasps and giggles, and rolled around with each other on the grass.

The three of them had training with Hizashi later, then dinner with Hiashi's family, but for now they only had time with each other.

It was going to be another nice day.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Whew, I'm enjoying this series. This one is a little long. **_

_**As always. Comment on what you think.**_

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A Wayward Blond

Chapter 2

Wandering Into A Warzone

"Stay safe going home, Naruto!" Hinata yelled, her tiny arms just barely reaching over her head. Behind her stood her cousin, Neji, who watched the scene with stoic eyes. The Hyuuga boy met Naruto's eyes, and for a second the two youths stared at each other.

Then Neji nodded, and Naruto smiled. He nodded back, and that was that. Naruto turned from the gateway to the Hyuuga compound and started on his way down the road back to the orphanage. Behind him he could hear Hinata, the Hyuuga heiress, still screaming his name. She repeated the time he was to come tomorrow, as well as reminding him to bring his pajamas. Toothbrush, underwear, and don't forget to brush his teeth!

Honestly, even though Naruto was older, Hinata treated him as if he were her child. She doted on him every moment they were alone, to the point that it was even annoying. He tried to scold her before, but then she would turn her big, lavender eyes on him.

And suddenly he was paralyzed. He couldn't stay mad at her or her puffy cheeks.

The worst part was that she knew of her powers, and used them to keep him in check. Little Hinata dragged him everywhere she went, coddling him like a life-sized doll the entire time.

Honestly, why was she even acting older than him? She could barely speak to anyone outside of their trio if he wasn't around. Hinata was just weird like that.

Either way, Naruto would have some time away from her. For the past year the blond had been spending nearly every day over at the Hyuuga compound, but his home was still the orphanage. He was still required to show his face there from time to time, and today was that day. While he didn't cherish his time in the run-down institution, at least it was time away from Hinata.

Also it was time away from the stuffy Hyuuga elders. Neji told him that they had lightened up since the attempted kidnapping, but they were still blowhards.

Also don't tell Hinata that he said that. He wasn't allowed to curse.

Either way, four-year-old (and nearly five!) Naruto strolled down the streets of Konoha. The sun had already started to set, and the entire village had an almost orange tint to it. Stall venders had already packed away most of their stuff, with only a few stragglers staying behind to finish their preparations for the next day. Naruto took one look at them, and a devilish smirk overtook his face.

All at once the boy remembered his penchant for trouble, a trait that was locked away by Hinata's overbearing sweetness. With an evil rubbing of his hands and nothing but bad intentions going through his mind, the young child advanced on the poor, unsuspecting adults.

XxX

Pots clanged and detritus thundered against the dirt floor as Naruto bolted out of the Merchant District. Clutched in one hand was various necklaces and doo-dads that were probably not worth very much. Clutched in another hand was a single ball that barely fit in his palm. Stuffed in his mouth, and mostly hanging out, was a single fluffy piece of bread. It was warm, delicious, and tastier than anything he ate even at the rich Hyuuga's house.

But then again, that might just be because he stole it. Food always tasted better when Naruto stole it.

Either way Naruto beat up dust clouds as he belted down the street. He ducked into alleyways and over walls as he tried to escape from the disgruntled merchants. Even now they shouted profanities at him, and Naruto could do nothing more than smile.

The villagers weren't bad people, not necessarily. They were just incredibly boring and set in their ways. Naruto felt that it was his solemn duty to spice things up for them.

With these thoughts in mind, Naruto ducked around another corner before dashing into a bush. The merchants took a while, but they stumbled out of the alleyway he had vacated. One was a fat man wearing decent clothing, while the other was a reedy man wearing tacky, but obviously expensive wear.

"Where did he go?" the reedy man asked. Everything about him screamed "greasy." Naruto thumbed the cheap necklaces he held in his hand. They were nothing like the jewelry of the Hyuuga clan, but the man was selling them as if they were worth a small fortune.

"I don't know," the other man said. He gasped, hands on his knees, as he tried to catch his breath. He was one of many of the Village's bakers, and although he wasn't necessarily bad to Naruto, he wasn't all that kind either. Naruto munched on the loaf he had stolen from the man. It was still chewy.

The two men argued some more, before finally taking off in opposite directions. Neither man caught on to the fact that their target was less than a meter away from them, and Naruto stepped out of the shrubbery, smug grin in place. He took one look at the necklaces in his hand and dropped them to the dirt, before stomping on them for good measure. The cheap, almost plastic beads cracked from even that much, and the expensive "gold" dented from the four-year-old's assault.

Truly despicable, but Naruto supposed that it was to be expected. He took his now freed hand and reached up to tear the bread out of his mouth, immediately chewing and swallowing the bread that was left in his teeth. He finished the bread off quickly, before walking away from the scene of the crime.

Absentmindedly, however, he tossed the ball in his other hand in the air. He caught it every time it came down, and his eyes followed the orb as it sailed through the air again.

To be honest, Naruto wasn't sure that what he was holding was a ball. For one, it was made almost completely of glass, and playing with it as if it were a ball was probably not a good idea. Broken glass was not only a bad omen, but it sucked to clean up.

For another thing, the orb felt strange in his hands. It was both warm and cold to the touch, and the longer he held it in his hand, the warmer it got.

Naruto decided that he didn't really want to see how warm it could get, so he tossed it in the air to keep it from getting to the point where it could burn him.

It was such a weird ball, really. It was the last thing he stole, with two merchants already in hot pursuit of him. He reached out to grab one last thing, anything really, and his hand landed on the orb. The vender, a thin man with opulent clothing, looked up from his preparations when the commotion caught his attention. Naruto expected him to get mad. He expected the vender to give chase.

He didn't expect the man to smile— it was a small, wry smile— and turn back to his work. The man was weird, and everything in his stall was weird as well. With another toss in the air, Naruto debated just returning the weird ball back to him.

It was obviously trouble, after all. With another toss, Naruto continued his walk down the street. It wasn't like him to give something back, but something about the ball just seemed so... ominous.

It was while he was debating what to do that he came across a huge gate. While gates weren't exactly rare in the Hidden Leaf, to have one be so big and grand was unusual. The Hyuuga had one, but Naruto was told that they were a rich family. The one he stood before was just as big, if not bigger, but replaced the featureless white of the Hyuuga with featureless black.

The sign overhead read, "The Uchiha District." Naruto wasn't entirely sure what an Uchiha was, but if it was anything like a Hyuuga, then it was probably just a big family. Naruto had ventured by this way before in his wanderings around the village, but he was never let inside. Mean men with fierce glares always turned him away. Their eyes, which were normally cold and black, would turn red, and Naruto would be left scurrying away.

Right now, however, there were no guards. That alone was weird, but maybe they were all asleep? It was pretty late, after all. The moon had already started its rise through the night sky.

In the end Naruto decided that it didn't matter where the guards were. Asleep or not, they weren't there to keep him out anymore. A devilish smirk overtook his face once more, and tiny sandaled feet took their first steps into unknown territory.

The first step was simply euphoric, and Naruto had to forcibly stop the jitters that ran through his body. There was something about finally doing something that you weren't supposed to do that brought excitement into the little boy's heart.

The second step wasn't as amazing, but each new step brought a new feeling of curiousness to his heart. How much farther could he go? How much more could he do and get away with? Every step was a step into a new adventure. The more he saw, the more he wanted to see. He wanted to explore. He wanted to learn.

He wanted to prank the ever-loving shit out of these people. But that could wait for another time.

Right now Naruto was wondering what was going on. The Hidden Leaf Village was seriously huge. Even at night it was hard to walk down any road without bumping into at least one person. Right now, however, this "Uchiha" District was empty. There was no one walking the street, no one peeking out of any buildings or rushing along home. Ever since he entered the area, no, ever since he walked by the gate he hadn't seen a single person.

It was like he was walking through a ghost town. There was no sign of life anywhere.

Naruto was already a few minutes' walk into the district, and his sense of adventure was quickly being overcome by unease. Where was everyone? There weren't even any kids outside. Naruto briefly entertained the idea that they were all stuffy traditional people like the Hyuuga, but even the Hyuuga had stragglers out after dark: guards and drunk people at the very least.

Here there was nothing. There wasn't even any noise coming from inside the houses. If Naruto didn't know any better, he would have guessed that no one lived here at all.

Cautious steps brought Naruto only a little deeper into the compound. It was only a few minutes, but to Naruto it felt like eternity. Unease turned to full on revulsion as his steps echoed through each abandoned house and empty alleyway.

Let it be known that Naruto was never fond of ghosts. He hoped for a sign, any sign at all, to relieve him of the mounting tension building along his spine.

He came across a person shortly after wishing that. They laid on the ground, arms and legs sprawled out with their head turned. His black kimono had the same symbol on it that was on the front gate and almost every house thus far: a black and white uchiwa.

Naruto smiled. Another drunk, huh? The boy creeped forward. Once close enough, he slapped the man as hard as he could on the neck. The man wouldn't feel it, so out of his stupor.

But then Naruto's hand hit ice cold skin, and the boy recoiled. No one was that cold. And not only was the man cold, he was also hard, as if his whole body had tensed up.

Naruto didn't want to. He really didn't want to. Still, he reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder. He shook him as hard as he could, and got no response in return. He waited a few seconds that turned into a few minutes, only to receive nothing from the man. No drunken spiels or mumbling or even the poor bastard pissing himself.

Only silence, like the rest of the district.

Finally, Naruto had enough. He gripped the man's shoulder again, but this time pulled with all his might. Initially the man hadn't budged, but after a few seconds the almost-five-year old managed to flip the man over.

"There!" Naruto triumphantly crowed. "Now wake u—"

Naruto could only stare at the blank open eyes of the man. A red liquid that he was sure wasn't wine bubbled out of the man's mouth, as well as the large open gash that stretched from the man's left shoulder to his right hip.

Naruto stood there, blue eyes roving over something he wasn't sure of. His mind was telling him things, screaming facts of the matter to him, but he just couldn't believe it. He wrenched his eyes away from the corpse and calmly stepped over it. He wanted to step away, to leave the harrowing experience behind and go back the way he came.

But his mind wasn't working the way he needed it to. Instead of turning around he had simply started walking the direction he was already facing.

Naruto trudged deeper into the Uchiha Compound.

XxX

Itachi Uchiha felt empty. His heart died when he first swung his sword against his own kin. He had killed before, many times, but this time felt especially bad. He felt every inch of skin that tore apart with the passing of his blade. The squelch of blood and organs echoed through his mind, even now, and the light that died from his cousin's, or niece's, or uncle's eyes haunted his every thought and harried his every step.

Yet he could not stop. He had already started this massacre. There was no half-heartedness in the role he had to play. He would have to kill them all.

A clansman, the uncle that first taught him how to bend his wrist when throwing shuriken, ran up to him. The man's face was set into a scowl, but there was a pain in the way that he glared at Itachi. It was as if he couldn't believe what was happening. Itachi, his eyes just as red as the man's, ducked under the swipe of his uncle's knife. With nary a thought to the matter, the thirteen-year-old lunged forward. His blade sunk into the man's stomach, and he went limp immediately.

"Itachi," the man gasped out, his voice gargled. "W-why."

Itachi didn't have an answer. He didn't have a thought. He just sighed, before pulling his sword out of the man's gut. One more clansman collapsed bonelessly to the ground, his Sharingan deactivating as the chakra that fed it disappeared.

Itachi didn't look back as he moved on to the next house. He cleaned his sword on the clothes of the man's wife, and shuffled out the door.

He felt tired, and so very, very empty.

XxX

Naruto was running. There was no destination in mind, only an ultimate goal, and that was getting out of this crazy place. Naruto wasn't exactly sure who the "Uchiha" were, but they were certainly nothing like the Hyuuga. The Hyuuga were great people. They got together, ate, and played games.

So far it seemed like all the Uchiha did was kill, and Naruto had to be careful not to trip over another body. Whereas before Naruto just had to shuffle around the corpses, as he got deeper into the compound more and more popped up. It got to the point where the bodies were everywhere, dotting every street and littering every open doorway. The stench of blood filled the air, leaving a faint coppery taste in Naruto's mouth.

He didn't like it, not at all. He ran a little faster, almost stumbling over yet another body as he ran. A few minutes more passed, with Naruto unknowingly stumbling closer inside the Uchiha compound. He worried that he would never meet another living person in this hell.

Then he heard the sound of crying.

Normally Naruto would never run towards someone crying. That was just asking for trouble. Right now, however, even a crying person was an upgrade to the people he had met thus far. He made a beeline, or attempted to, towards the source. It took a few twists and turns, and far too many bodies than he was comfortable with, but Naruto had finally reached the crying person.

As it turns out, the crying person was a little boy. He wailed, fists balled and rubbing his eyes, as he crouched on the ground in an alley. His shorts, which were originally the color of eggshell, was stained with splotches of blood. His shirt, while originally navy-blue, was crumpled and stained as well. His onyx hair was matted to his head, likely from sweat, and his entire body shook in time with his sobs.

Naruto leaned a little to look around the boy. There was a body just behind him. From the silhouette alone Naruto could tell it was a woman. From the way she lay, sprawled on the ground and unmoving, Naruto could tell that she wouldn't be getting up again.

It wasn't hard to guess what had happened here. Still, Naruto approached the boy slowly. He crouched too, and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy flinched, causing Naruto to flinch as well, before shooting his head up. His eyes were red, likely from all the crying he was doing, and even Naruto felt a little pity.

"Are you—" Naruto started, only to find his voice failing him. It cracked along the edges, and for a second he wondered what was wrong.

Then he noticed that he was shaking too. He looked to his hand, and found that he could not keep it still no matter how hard he tried. He looked back to the crying boy, only to see a look of understanding.

Naruto hadn't noticed the tears streaming down his eyes. The only thing he noticed was the comfort found in clutching the boy. Like it was with Hinata and Neji, hugging someone made things so much better.

The boy obviously felt the same way, because he didn't reject the hug. The two sat there, knees stained on the dirt road, clutching each other.

They were the only source of warmth in such a cold world.

XxX

Another Uchiha fell before him. Their blood splattered on his cheek, but he hardly felt it. The tears that fell from his eyes were the only wetness he could identify.

Even now he was starting to get used to the feeling.

A trio of Uchiha thundered over rooftops to reach him. Itachi spared them only a glance before rushing through hand seals. He inhaled deeply, and when he exhaled he spat vicious flames. The localized inferno washed over his clansmen, and their charred body fell from the sky.

Itachi tried to ignore the sounds of their bodies. He jumped in the air, paying no heed to the three wet _thumps_ as his kinsmen hit the ground. He came down in a thundering smash, and broke through the roof of the house he was in.

He ignored the tug on his soul as he cut through the mother protecting her child. He ignored the child's cries as he silenced her as well.

Chakra bled through his very being. The moon was red tonight, he noted. It cast the entire compound in a coppery tint. It made the blood on his Anbu armor easier to ignore. With his chakra-enhanced build, Itachi burst straight through the house he was in and into the one next door.

The living room he stood in looked familiar.

Rather than complain or fall, Itachi simply walked forward. He was avoiding this particular part, but there was no way around it, it seemed. One foot in front of the other, the young Uchiha passed by the couch that he lounged on after hard training sessions with his father. He passed the flowers that his mother meticulously cared for, and the toys that his younger brother left carelessly on the floor.

He passed the end table that had the picture of his family on it. He looked at none of these things as he opened the door leading to the bedrooms.

The hallway was unusually quiet, but he supposed that made sense. This was hardly a usual night. Itachi didn't bother with masking his footsteps as he stalked the hallway. His parents were ignorant, but they were hardly unskilled. He made no effort to hide his actions tonight, nor to hide his break into his own house. His parents knew that he was here, and exactly where he was.

Itachi didn't even bother stopping at the first door he came upon. It was his own, and there was nothing of note in there. It was barely even his room anymore. At some point it may have belonged to an Itachi Uchiha.

That Itachi died when he slew his first clansman.

The new Itachi cared little for such things, and instead quickly came upon a second door. This one Itachi hesitated on. His hand shook for the first time that night as it reached for the doorknob, and for the first time Itachi felt fear. It took a Herculean amount of effort to pry open the door, but pry he did. The Anbu prepped his sword, then burst into the room.

He was met with an empty bed and silence. Relief washed over Itachi as he slowly closed the door that barred entry to his brother's room.

So Sasuke was still out? There was no telling if he was still alive, the masked man was especially bloodthirsty, but at least it meant that Itachi wouldn't have to be the one to kill him. His heart, which ached for just a second, managed to die once more.

Itachi stalked the hallways once more and came to a room that he knew wasn't empty. There were two unbelievably strong chakra sources on the other side of the door, and Itachi didn't even need his Sharingan to tell that.

He opened his parents' room door slowly. He wasn't afraid of them— for all their power, Itachi had surpassed them. No, he was simply apprehensive. They had surely heard him enter, and yet they still sat with their backs turned to him. There was no pomp in his entrance, Itachi simply walked forward. He stood behind his parents, sword raised and prepared to strike, when they finally spoke.

"So, you have chosen the other side," his father said. Gone was the stern, utilitarian tone he used when training Itachi. Gone was the silent disapproval when commanding Itachi to spy on the Hokage, and the dense expectation. What was left was... acceptance. Just acceptance.

His mother was next to speak. Her voice was soft, as always. Her back was as perfectly straight as her husband's. As always, she was the regal and unflappable leader. It was she who had the Weasel Anbu mask before Itachi, and she only gave it up to foster a family.

She was the only one who could reign in Fugaku Uchiha. Her words were known to demand obedience and shatter any doubts in the field.

None of those qualities were present when the Uchiha matriarch finally spoke. They were efficient, but not disapproving. They were curt, but not harsh. They were the words, not of a commander of soldiers, but of a mother content to let her child go.

"You have grown, Itachi."

Four words, and yet they cut deeper than every sword swung by his kin. His heart beat once more, and it did so painfully. Itachi clutched at his chest as his tears started to flow.

Fugaku sighed. His head rose, but he did not turn to see his child. "You are truly a gentle child, aren't you?" Itachi's red eyes rose and, though blurred by the sudden onset of tears, he could see the regal form of his father. "Perhaps I truly have wasted my time trying to foster you into a warrior. How I must have burdened you."

And it wasn't the words themselves, but the intense regret in his father's voice that had caught Itachi off guard. His father wasn't the type to regret his actions. If he made a mistake, he learned from it and used it as best he could. He regretted none of his decisions, even if those decisions included declaring war on his own village.

And yet here, now, Itachi could only feel pity for his father as he lamented his own abilities as a father.

"Your mother berated me many times for how hard I pushed you, but I only wanted what was best for you. I wanted you to be strong. I wanted you to surpass me, and be a better clan head than I ever was." His father's head fell, and the older man was once more looking to his knees. "You have surpassed me, alright. But you have become disillusioned. Is this truly the only path you can find that aligns with your truth?"

Itachi couldn't answer. He tried to, but his throat locked up and the only sound that came out was a choked sob.

Apparently this was enough. Fugaku nodded. His back straightened once more, and he looked ahead, and away from Itachi. When next he spoke, his voice was strong, confident.

"Itachi, I haven't been the best father, but I have taught you the virtues of a man. A man makes his decisions with resolution. Itachi, you are a man now. Perhaps a bit sooner than I hoped, but you are. And as a man, you have made your decision. You cannot back out on it now."

Itachi nodded his head. His teeth clenched as he prepared himself for what he was to do.

"No matter what decisions you have made, Itachi, you are my son. And I am proud of you."

Those were the last words that Fugaku Uchiha said before his son's sword pierced his back. The man made no noise, he didn't even sputter. He collapsed on the tatami mat when Itachi pushed him off his blade with his foot, and he closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

The tears were streaming freely down Itachi's face as he turned to his mother. It was like his father said, he couldn't back out now. Just like his father, his mother didn't bother to turn around. She stared straight ahead, her pride obvious, as Itachi raised his sword.

"Itachi. Promise me that you will take care of Sasuke."

Itachi nodded his head. "I will, mother."

XxX

Naruto thundered down the hall, pulling along his new crying buddy as he ran through the boy's house. The crying boy, whose name was Sasuke, had a hand over his eyes, and those eyes were firmly shut. He didn't want to see the bodies of his clansmen. He didn't want to see their lifeless eyes or open bellies. He just wanted to see his parents again.

Sasuke had said that they were likely dead too. Naruto grunted around tears and asked him how he knew that.

Sasuke had said, "that it was likely."

Naruto responded, "bullshit."

And the two children were suddenly off the ground and running. Naruto led the onyx-haired boy through the carnage, and before long they had reached Sasuke's house. It was hard to miss, after all. Sasuke had said it was the biggest house in the area, and he wasn't lying.

It easily had at least two stories on every other house.

Naruto didn't waste any time. He kicked the door in and stumbled into the opening hall. Sasuke still had his eyes closed, but he every so often he peaked.

"The living room is down the hall," the boy stammered. "Through there is the door to the hallway with our rooms."

Naruto nodded. He had guided Sasuke through the rooms— he was still scared of the possibility of his family being dead— until he reached the hallway. Up until now the place had been eerily quiet. Now, however, the two boys could hear faint whispers from the other end.

From here Naruto proceeded cautiously. Hizashi had drilled him endlessly on running into both situations and rooms without any knowledge. Long story short, he wasn't supposed to do it.

Where Naruto was cowed by the voices, Sasuke was rejuvenated. He jolted forward, and would have broken out of Naruto's grip had the blond not possessed a vice-like grip.

"Let go, Naruto!" Sasuke said. He tugged against Naruto's hand as hard as he could, but for some reason he couldn't break through. "That's my family in there! I recognize Father's voice! He and Big Brother are talking!"

Naruto nodded, but he didn't let go. Something was wrong here. He wasn't sure exactly what, but something told him to not let Sasuke run ahead. Instead he took a few steps forward. His gait was slow. Careful.

"Yes, that's fine Sasuke. Just stay with me. They're probably not going anywhere."

Sasuke looked like he wanted to resist, but an unusual sound rang through their ears. It was like the tearing of fabric, followed by the splattering of something.

Then the smell hit them, and unfortunately it wasn't something they were unused to. Both boys had become alarmingly proficient at sniffing out blood.

Naruto could no longer restrain him. The raven-haired boy burst from Naruto's now surprised grasp and pelted down the hallway. Naruto could do nothing but chase after him. Sasuke had reached the open door before Naruto could, only to scream a bloodcurdling sound. Naruto rushed in, his protective side rearing up, only to stumble into Sasuke and push him to the ground in the hallway. The blond turned to the room in order to see what had his new friend upset.

He never saw the dead man on the floor, or the worried woman who reached out towards him. All he saw was red, and the spinning swirl of black.

XxX

Mikoto Uchiha, mother of two very brilliant sons, could only gasp as her youngest stood in the open doorway. She had assumed him alive, after all fate couldn't be so cruel as to have one of her sons kill her and the other to perish. She hadn't expected him to be here, however. Her son didn't need to see this.

She turned to Itachi, the first time she had done so that night, ready to plea for at least Sasuke's non-involvement in this terrible night. She had planned to ask if she could put her youngest in a genjutsu where he could sleep the night away or, barring that, that Itachi might.

What she saw when she turned was something she had hoped she would never see.

The three tomoe of Itachi's Sharingan had fused into a swirl, kind of like a three-pronged shuriken. His eyes bled as he looked, not at her, but forward to where his brother stood screaming in the hallway.

That level of Sharingan, likely unlocked by killing his father, was not necessary to cast low-level genjutsu. The blood proved that he was using a technique unique to the Mangekyo.

Mikoto wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what Itachi was doing. She, however, had no way to stop the young man. So instead she turned, arm thrust out in some ineffectual ploy to grab her son and avert his eyes.

But Sasuke wasn't there anymore. In his place was a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy. He glared fiercely as he peered into the room. The first thing he noticed was the only standing person and, true to his heritage, he stared the threat down.

Mikoto knew that Itachi wasn't anywhere near as proficient in the technique as he could have been. It was his first time using it, so he likely couldn't cancel it. Thus, the attack meant for his little brother hit Naruto.

But not before the boy raised the only thing in his hands as a faux weapon with which to defend himself with.

Mikoto watched as Itachi Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki engaged in a staring contest abetted by a single crystal ball.

XxX

Itachi wasn't sure how he knew of this technique. When he killed his father a searing pain erupted from the back of his eyes. From the sheer agony alone Itachi almost crumbled, but he knew that he couldn't. He had a job to do, and he didn't have time to nurse his aching head or new powers. He raised his sword, ready to end a long, nearly unbearable night.

Hurried footsteps then crashed into the open doorframe of his parents' room, and Itachi was distracted. He looked up, and was met with the anguished face of his precious little brother. The boy took less than a second to take in and understand what he was looking at, and a pained scream immediately filled the room.

The scream almost shattered what was left of Itachi's soul. The knowledge of a technique he did not know came to the forefront of his mind and, as it was the only answer his mind was supplying him, he acquiesced.

Blood leaked from his eyes as the Tsukyomi took effect. The chakra pulsed from his eyes, and Itachi was sure that the attack would take hold.

Then Sasuke was pushed out of the way, and blue eyes and blond hair took his place. Unlike his brother, the blond child didn't bother to take in the effects of the room. He ignored the copper smell of the blood and the dead man on the ground. He ignored the woman's pleas and her outstretched hand. The boy, who Itachi noted as being the Nine-Tails Container, looked straight to him and stared him in the eyes. Tsukyomi took hold, and the two were whisked away.

They both found themselves in a world of black and white and red. White clouds zipped by against a blood red sky. Before him Itachi saw Naruto strapped to a chair. Ropes bound his arms tightly to the arms of the chair, and his legs to the chair's legs. He was restrained, wholly and totally, and yet he still glared at Itachi.

Itachi sighed. The young boy wasn't the target of his technique. Hell, Naruto shouldn't have even been there. Still, if nothing else, this was practice for when he used the technique on his brother.

The mental avatar of the Uchiha slayer walked forward, a sword appearing in his hands. The scenery changed from a featureless plane to the middle of the Village. People appeared, mostly faceless and adult.

They raised their hands and pointed at the bound pariah. Laughter spilled from their mocking mouths.

"It's the demon," one faceless person spat.

"The monster is finally getting his just deserts!" another jeered.

To his credit, Naruto paid the people no mind. He glared ahead and stared deep into Itachi's eyes. The Anbu almost found himself cowed, but then remembered their situation.

He stabbed his sword into Naruto's stomach. The blond boy winced, but otherwise didn't stop his glaring. When next he spoke, he was surprised at the venom in the boy's voice.

"I have gone without food for longer than you could imagine, red-eyes. That hunger is more painful than any sword you put in my belly."

Itachi's eyebrow quirked, but he made no other comment. Instead he withdrew the blade. The wound he inflicted closed instantly, but Itachi paid it no mind. Instead he shoved his sword into Naruto's forearm. _That_ garnered a reaction.

"Tch," Naruto grunted. He bit his lip but refused to cry out. His head fell with the pain, but the boy soon raised it again. He once more stared into Itachi's eyes, his glare as potent as ever.

"You're not a very nice person, are you?" Naruto asked. Itachi didn't have an answer. Naruto didn't care. He continued talking. "You made my friend upset."

Itachi didn't respond. He withdrew his blade and stabbed it again into Naruto. This time his shoulder was pierced, and Naruto once again barely held in his cry of agony. Still, Itachi wondered.

When had Naruto and Sasuke become friends?

"You... made my friend sad..." Naruto said around grunts. He refused to look away from Itachi. "You are a bad man."

Itachi didn't need to be told that by a five-year-old. He had already been telling himself that. He pulled the blade out, and reinserted it into the boy's thigh. _That_ finally got a scream, and the blond's sob was just barely drowned out by the rancor of the crowd.

"Yes!" a faceless villager cheered. "Give him what he deserves!"

"Kill the demon!" another yelled.

"Make him suffer!"

The jeers continued, and Naruto had to duck his head. His breathes came in ragged, unsteady patches, and his shoulders visibly heaved as he tried to steady himself.

Itachi almost didn't have the heart to tell the boy that this torture would continue for another seventy-one hours. To the boy's credit, he didn't even flinch when informed. Instead he worked to steady his breathing, then slowly responded.

"Take as long as you need, ya bastard," the boy cursed. "I'll take it all, and when I'm done, I'll beat the shit out of ya."

Itachi made to scoff, but then something happened that he wasn't expecting. Naruto had opened his eyes.

They were red. They weren't red like his, however. They were slit. Two slit, red eyes stared up at him.

"I'm going to beat you for every second you hurt my friend," the blond growled.

The imaginary Village went up in flames.

"What?" Itachi asked. Tsukyomi wasn't supposed to work like this. He was supposed to have complete control!

"**Perhaps**," said a voice, deep and rumbling and _loud_. It echoed around the burning village, imposing a deep pressure on the area. Itachi, Sharingan active, looked for the intruder. He found none. "**But your Sharingan wasn't able to complete its hold. Your ocular power is being interrupted, boy**."

And then, all at once, nine pillars erupted from the ground. They crashed and broke through the buildings of the imaginary Hidden Leaf Village, destroying the already crumbling architecture. Eventually the nine pillars stabilized, and instead enclosed the two young ninja.

Itachi attempted to use a jutsu. The fireball was impressive as it flew towards a pillar. A burst of red chakra whisked it out of existence.

"**You are brave, boy. I will give you that much**," the voice said. It sounded amused. "**However, you have tread unto my domain, and angered my host. While I care not for the folly of my jailer, you have made the mistake of interrupting my rest**."

Itachi, in his haste, looked back to Naruto. The boy, whose red eyes inspired a primal fear in him, had fallen asleep. He lie unconscious in his seat.

Itachi turned back around. He looked around for the source of the voice, only to see nothing but the nine pillars surrounding him.

All too late did Itachi realize that the pillars were actually tails.

"**You have offended me, Uchiha. Next we meet, make sure that your Sharingan is strong enough to take on the strongest of the Tailed-Beasts**."

Itachi's eyes widened as he realized what he was opposing. The ground crumbled around him, and the very sky lit on fire. Naruto's avatar fell into the void below as the ground became unsteady, only Itachi remaining on the small island of land that was left.

Tentatively, the Uchiha boy peered down into the abyss.

Two great, red and slit eyes stared back.

XxX

Mikoto stared, wide-eyed, as both her eldest son and Naruto fell backwards. They both hit the ground at the same time, with her son's katana falling out of his grip around the same time that Naruto's crystal ball slipped out of his hands and rolled across the floor.

For one beautifully ironic moment Mikoto Uchiha was surrounded by unconscious or dead men. Her psyche, now well and broken, could only stare blankly while she waited for something to happen.

XxX

Naruto rose from his bed, his entire body aching. His jaw was especially sore, and he rubbed at it grudgingly. After a while he just had to accept that the dull pain was a part of his day, and he cast off his covers. His feet slipped out of his bed and onto the floor, and the blond winced at how cold the hardwood was. I mean, it was winter, but the newly five-year-old boy still didn't appreciate the frost.

Still, it was better than the orphanage, so he supposed that it was alright.

Naruto pulled open his bedroom door in true Naruto fashion— with entirely too much force— and more or less barreled his way into the kitchen. He scratched at his stomach as he took in the place. It was newly bought, with new furniture and stuff, and even smelled new. The smell of new furniture wasn't what had caught his attention, however. It was the smell of freshly cooked breakfast that lured Naruto from his modest living room and into the attached kitchen.

The onyx-haired woman noticed his presence the moment his bare feet touched the tile. Mikoto Uchiha turned with a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. It was a far cry from the look of despair he had first seen on her not a few months ago.

Even in his mind Naruto did not mention the Uchiha Massacre directly. It was still a sore subject for him.

"Good morning, Naruto," the woman chirped. Naruto almost blushed at her enthusiasm. Even at five he could tell the lady was really pretty. "Did you sleep well?"

Naruto nodded. He made to answer, but his words were overtaken by a yawn so powerful that he had to close his eyes.

"Remember to cover your mouth when you yawn," the woman chided. Naruto nodded once more, but he knew that he wouldn't. He would annoy and prank people all he wanted, whenever he wanted. The woman before him may have adopted him, and was technically his mom, but he would always be a free-troublemaking spirit.

The woman seemed to tell Naruto's thoughts. She placed her hands on her hips, temporarily ignoring the bacon in the pan in front of her to glare at the blond. There was no heat in her actions, however, and before long she was smiling.

"Just make sure not to yawn at anybody," the woman said. Naruto nodded. He could do at least that much.

With their squabble out of the way, Mikoto turned back to her cooking and Naruto climbed into a seat at the table. The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence, with the only sound being that of the sizzling bacon.

Then Sasuke trudged into the room, and suddenly even that sound was drowned out. The young Uchiha's attention fell to Naruto almost immediately, and Naruto rose from his nap on the table completely unbidden.

The two glared at each other, sparks flying as they vied for non-verbal superiority.

Mikoto didn't say anything about to their little rivalry. It was all just too cute! She shuffled from the stove to the table, and scraped some bacon onto the three plates there. There was already some eggs and buttered toast there, with the bacon completing the breakfast meal. Sasuke shuffled into his seat, never once breaking eye contact with Naruto, and picked up his fork.

"Thanks for the meal, mom," Sasuke muttered. He had started to pout, and Mikoto had to stop herself from squealing.

"Yeah, Miss Mikoto," Naruto repeated. His actions mirrored Sasuke's perfectly. "Thanks."

Mikoto chuckled, and retrieved the orange juice from the fridge. She knew what her next words would do, but honestly, their reactions were just too cute.

"I've told you before, Naruto. Just call me 'mom'."

And just like that Sasuke's glare intensified, while Naruto's melted. The normally unflappable blond blushed to the roots of his hair, and he was forced to break the staring contest as he mumbled his next words.

"I can't... that's just... ugh."

"Yeah, he's right, mom! He can't!" Sasuke yelled.

"Stop being so embarrassing, Miss Mikoto!" Naruto said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, mom! You're so embarrassing!"

Mikoto chuckled. Boys were so cute. They didn't even know whether to be mad at each other or her. Regardless, the staring contest was over and the two boys had started to dig into their food. Mikoto followed suit, and waited until they were almost done to start talking.

"When you're finished, you need to clean up. You have a play date with Hinata and Neji today."

Sasuke grunted. "Again? We have play dates with them every day."

Naruto snickered. "You just hate going over there because Neji beats you in spars."

Sasuke catapulted from his seat. "He beats you too!"

Naruto rose too, if for no reason but because he didn't want to be outdone in any area. He was successfully taunting Sasuke, after all. "Well, yes, but _I'm_ okay with losing to someone a year older than I am."

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other, and for a second it looked like they might fight then and there. Instead they just glared for a minute more before sitting and continuing their meal.

Mikoto chuckled. Boys would be boys. For all their arguments, they were still stalwart friends. She was so very proud of them.

Mikoto was so very proud of all of her sons.


	3. Chapter 3: The Hidden Sand Part 1

_**Sorry for the delay! Finals. **_

_**I'll try to be more consistent. Remember to comment so I can get better. **_

* * *

A Wayward Ninja

Chapter 3:

Blood in the Sand

Naruto sighed as he trudged through the sand. The wind carried sediments along its gales, not only buffeting the blond but tracking the powder in places he did not appreciate. Every other second, he was forced to scratch at his eyes, or hair, or pants, to relieve the ever present appearance of the stuff, and before long he was forced to just abandon the pretense altogether. That, coupled with the fact that the sun was completely overbearing, made for a disastrous trip through the desert.

"This is stupid," Naruto groaned. His hair was matted to his head with sweat, making for an overall uncomfortable experience. Added to the fact that he had to wear stupid, baggy clothes didn't help with things. Naruto wanted nothing more than to shed himself of his travel cloak and put on his old jumpsuit, but even he had to admit that that would be a horrible idea. The climate was already near lethal when he was wearing the most optimal clothing for it.

Just because he understood the situation, however, didn't mean that he liked it. When a couple more minutes passed with no response from his travel mates, Naruto simply sighed again, this time deeper. _That_ finally garnered a reaction, and Sasuke slugged him in the shoulder.

"Be quiet, idiot! We know that you're tired, we're all tired! We know that you're hot, we're all hot! We _know_ that you're bored, we're all bored! So please, stop wasting your breath with all your stupid complaining! You're only making things hotter!"

Naruto, not one to back down from his raven-haired brother, reared up in response. He cocked back a fist as he approached the Uchiha, who didn't back down either. "Hey! There's no way that talking is enough to make _this place_ any hotter!"

Sasuke sneered. "I dunno, you talk enough to make a good case for it."

And just like that it was on. The two boys charged at one another, fists raised and ready to brawl. They made it one step, only one, before practiced hands descended on them. Their wrists were caught in vice-like grips, then shoved downwards. The two boys tripped forward, smacked their foreheads into each other, then recoiled.

"Hey, Neji! What gives?" Naruto whined. Across from him Sasuke was quiet, but his glare spoke volumes. Daggers shot from his eyes as he stared down the Hyuuga.

For his part, Neji didn't seem to affected. The nine-year-old's eyes were lidded as he looked down on his younger counterparts. "Wasting all of your energy on squabbling not only bothers others, but makes you thirsty faster. The extra water you drink means that there is less for the others. We only have so much of it for our journey to the Sand Village."

Both boys grunted, but averted their eyes nonetheless. Around them the other people, mostly Hyuuga, smirked as they watched the boys get scolded by yet another boy.

Neji grunted. "Honestly, it's like you two are children."

Here Naruto bristled again. His attitude returned with a vengeance as he rounded on his friend.

"Hey! For the record, we _are_ children!" He then folded his arms, his lip pouting out. "Geez, you used to be so much fun…"

Neji sputtered. His head whipped towards the blond. "Just because I'm acting proper doesn't mean I'm any less fun! I'm just actually mature. Unlike some people."

This time Sasuke joined the fray. He was loathe to ever be on the blond idiot's side in just about anything, but Neji was still a sore subject for him.

No, he wasn't still jealous that Neji was a better combatant than he was. Promise.

"Mature? Is that another word for lame? Because that's what you are."

Neji's Byakugan activated. The two boys were so used to the indication of the boy's ire that they didn't even register it.

"I am just as fun as I used to be."

Naruto mimed Neji, making a scrunched-up face as he did so. "I Am JuSt As FuN aS I usEd To Be. That's you."

Neji scowled at him but tried not to rise to the bait. He closed his eyes, counted to three, and took deep breaths. When he finally opened his eyes he had calmed…

… only to see Sasuke's fingers in front of his eyes.

"Gah!" Neji screamed before collapsing on the ground. He clutched at his eyes as he fumbled around, tracking sand into his clothing. In the background Hinata laughed at her mother's side while her father stared, jaw set.

"Proper shinobi should conduct themselves as such," he said, only for a white clothed arm to drape itself around his neck.

"And you should lighten up," Hizashi quipped. "They're still children yet, and there is no one out here to chastise them."

Hiashi pursed his lips. He looked towards the children, only to see Naruto and Sasuke share a rare moment of camaraderie as they bumped fists. Neji was still rolling on the ground, and Hinata was laughing softly. He watched the scene a moment more, before sighing.

"Very well," he said. "But it is your job, dear brother, to reign them in when we reach the Sand Village."

Hizashi laughed. "Why, of course, brother! How hard could it be?"

XxX

As it turns out, it was very hard.

"Get back here!" Hizashi screamed. Neji had finally grown sick of the boys' pestering and was aggressively chasing them. Gentle Fist taps flew wildly as the enraged Hyuuga boy chased his onyx haired "friend" through the streets of the Hidden Sand. Civilians and passerby, not used to such commotion, simply glared at the children as they were shoved to the side. Hizashi sighed. "If you would, could you at least not encourage them, Lady Hinata?"

Hinata gasped. She used her hands to cover her mouth, but her mirth was still clearly visible in her eyes. The giggles escaping didn't help either. Dejected, the man looked to his brother, only to get a rare wry smile back.

"They're just being kids, brother." Hiashi said. You couldn't remove the smugness from his voice with a knife. "It couldn't possibly be hard. Go reign them in. It'll be _easy_."

A look of dread overcame Hizashi's face at the suddenly insurmountable task he was presented. He turned, slowly, only to hear the sound of something crashing. Sasuke and Neji were beelining down the main road with nothing but chaos in their wake, and Naruto…

Naruto was nowhere to be found.

And that was the horrifying part.

XxX

Naruto sucked his teeth. He walked down a side alley of the stupid village he was in with nothing more than a bad mood in his heart. When the Hyuuga told him that they were going on a "super important mission" outside the village, he thought that they were going to be fighting bandits. Or saving princesses. Or taking down evil warlords. He thought that something interesting was going to happen.

Instead he was shoved into the world's longest walk with the stuffy Hyuuga bodyguards doing all the work. They didn't see any warlords, or pretty princesses, and they barely even saw a bandit. The one that they DID see was a single, wobbly stick of a man. His footwork was shabby and his bones were visible. The knife he held looked wicked, but mostly because of the rust. He took one look at the procession, shook his head, and turned around.

Honestly, he made the smart move, but not one that Naruto enjoyed. With a kick at the sand that lined the road he walked, the boy scoffed as he made his way through the village.

"Stupid Hyuuga and their stupid mandatory pilgrimages…" he grumbled. "Just cause I prefer to sleep over there doesn't mean that you have to drag me everywhere."

Never mind that they asked his permission before taking him along, Naruto was just upset that everything was so boring. Because it was a diplomatic mission, he wasn't allowed to play with Hinata. With Neji recently being all stuffy and boring, and Sasuke being an ass, there was no one left for him to play with. She may have been pushy, but at least she was fun.

What Naruto wouldn't give for someone fun right now.

Really, anything would do.

But, sadly, nothing was forthcoming. Naruto felt like screaming. He trudged down the alley a bit more before exiting into a clearing. The buildings had fallen away to reveal a wide-open area filled with jungle gyms and slides. One or two swings lined the area, but for the most part the entire area was just one big sandbox with no vegetation.

Naruto shrugged and made his way over to it anyway. There was nothing better to do.

Upon reaching the playground Naruto looked for some games to play in. There were a trio of boys playing some kind of tag around a mass of monkey bars, and some other kids going up and down a slide. Some younger children were playing on the swings, but there was still one open, while some more kids were going around a Merry-Go-Round.

Overall the day seemed pretty fun. All of the children were a bit younger than him, some a little bit older, but that didn't mean he couldn't play. Without a second thought he ran up to a bunch of children playing with a tan ball. He waved, introduced himself, and asked to play.

"Sure," a boy a little taller than him said. "We needed one more person, anyway."

And then began a curious game where Naruto and one other boy had to carry the ball from one side of the playground to the other without getting it stolen. It took him a few minutes to get the rules down, of which not every one was explained to him until it became relevant, but eventually he understood the game. Once that was done, the boy's limited ninja training became a serious boon.

"Hey, not fair!" one boy cried. He was on the opposite team and tried to swipe the ball from Naruto's hands. Naruto stopped short, pivoted on his heel, and juked around the boy with almost no effort. "You can't use ninja stuff!"

Naruto chuckled. "That wasn't in the rules."

"It is now! That's not fair!"

"You're just mad because you're losing."

"Am not!"

"Enough," the slightly taller boy said. "If it bothers you so much, he can be on your team. Will that make things better?"

And thus the teams switched after every game. Naruto's team still won more often than not, but the games were still fun either way. Naruto was having so much fun that he completely forgot that he was supposed to be elsewhere.

Or at least he did until the game suddenly stopped. All of the other kids on the playground stopped, their eyes wide and mouths open as they looked towards something. Naruto turned as well, only to see a red-haired boy standing over at the playground's entrance. He clutched a teddy bear in his arms as he stared onto the playground. His lip quivered as he stood there, and if Naruto looked hard enough he could see the glistening in the boy's eyes.

Naruto, ever the softie, wasted no time in going over to see what was wrong. Before he made it even two steps, however, he was stopped. The taller kid grasped his shoulder and held him there.

"No, Naruto," was all that he said. Naruto's brow furrowed, but he didn't break away. He followed their stare and stared at the young boy too, and after a while he began to feel uncomfortable. None of them were doing anything, just staring like a Nara deer caught in a floodlight.

Eventually it was too much for the boy too. The child toddled over, all the while clutching his teddy bear like it was his last connection to Earth. The bear was almost half his height, so even Naruto had to gasp at how cute the whole thing was. He reached about halfway towards them and stopped before their ball, which had been kicked away during the latest session. He doubled over, picked it up, and with the most hopeful eyes that Naruto had ever seen he held it out towards them.

"Here," he said. Just a simple, small word said with a stutter. The voice was high pitched, but still scratchy, as if the boy had said it with a throat lined with sand. No one, not even Naruto, moved to take the ball from him, however. He stood there a few seconds more with all of their eyes trained on him before he finally moved.

That was a mistake.

The boy didn't even make it three steps before the ball was struck from his outstretched hand. The boy recoiled, but he didn't move otherwise. Eventually another clump of sand, this time slightly bigger than the one that hit the ball, smacked the boy on the side of the face.

Naruto turned, eyes wide, as he looked towards the direction the sand flew from. Standing with an extended arm was one of the boys he was playing with. A vile sneer ran across his face.

"We don't want you here, demon," the boy said. "Didn't we tell you to stay away?"

Another clump of dirt hit the boy, this time beaning him on the forehead. It shifted his scarlet hair to reveal the word "Love" printed there. The boy winced, and his eyes shut as he weathered the attack.

"Why do you keep coming back, _freak_?" another boy spat. His words weren't even particularly venomous. Just self-assured and impetuous. He walked up to the redhead and came a head taller than the boy. Then, with no ceremony, he pushed the boy to the ground. "Get out of here, loser."

The redhead sniffled. His eyes blurred a bit as tears started to flow freely, and he backed away, his teddy bear in tow. He then scrambled to his feet and scurried away, not looking behind himself once.

Naruto watched as he went, eyes hard. The taller boy finally let go of his shoulder and turned back to his friends.

"Good riddance," the boy said. He hadn't looked as disgusted as his younger friends, but the revulsion was there. Naruto stared the boy down a second more before turning back to where the redhead was. The boy was far gone, with only an empty road left behind, the trail swirling with sand.

"Are you coming?"

Naruto didn't respond. His eyes were glued to where the boy was. After a few more seconds he finally nodded, before turning back to the boys. They had already restarted their game.

"Yeah," Naruto said.

XxX

He ran, no real destination in mind and no real reason. Sure, he was upset. Those boys back there were always so mean to him. They bullied him and never let him play. He didn't want anything from them and was always really, really nice.

But they still didn't like him. And it was all because of some silly mistake.

A year or so ago, when he was just seven years old, he tried to play with them. His father had finally let him out of the house and he was excited. He ran everywhere he could in the village. He visited every shop and marveled at every building.

Then he came across the playground, and he loved it. The slides were amazing, the merry-go-round was amazing. The Jungle Gym was amazing.

But more than all of that, the children were amazing. Up until then he was stuck with grown ups who didn't really care about him. His father treated him coldly and his siblings never talked to him. For him, life was a lonely existence. So to meet a bunch of children who were not only his age, but willing to play with him? Oh yes, the playground was a wonderful, _cherished_ place.

It didn't take long for him to meet some friends. Children were surprisingly open when it came to making friends. A conversation that lasted no longer than a minute included Gaara in everything they did, and soon they were enjoying the park to its fullest. A couple of minutes of play soon became the whole afternoon, and soon the other children were on their way home.

The redheaded boy simply scooped up his teddy and made his way back home. It was the biggest building in the village, so this wasn't hard. He returned to hard stares and worried glances from his family, and suddenly the boy didn't want to be here anymore. He couldn't wait for the next day, when he could retreat out into the playground. He shoveled down his food and tucked himself into bed as fast as he could.

When the sun finally rose the next morning, he was out of bed and already on his way.

He reached the park before everyone else and had to play a bit on his own. He molded the sand with his hands and played with his favorite teddy for hours, but to the boy the whole situation was just fine. He wasn't home, and his father wasn't glaring at him, and his siblings weren't avoiding him.

This place, even with just him, was perfectly fine.

Before he knew it, the first of his new friends had wandered into the playground. The boy waved frantically, and soon he was engaged in the most epic sand-castle building match he had ever been in. Other kids were soon drawn in by the noise they were making, and the boy was once more surrounded by people and laughter. The day was, once again, perfect, and nothing could ever bring the boy down from the high he was on.

Then the children got bored, as they were wont to do, and the game shifted.

They boy remembered that shift very, very well.

Suddenly it was time to play tag. The rules were simple: a person was chosen to be "It," and whoever was It would have to tag someone else, thereby making them It. The game would continue with the role of "It" being passed around until sundown. Whoever was still it when that happened would lose, while everyone else would win. A boy was arbitrarily chosen, and the game was in full swing. For a while it was fun, just watching everyone running and laughing and enjoying themselves. The person who was "It" shifted from boy to boy to girl and back again, and eventually the person who was chosen set their eyes on him.

So caught up in the game was he that the boy didn't even think. He ran, laughing all the while, while the boy who was "It" chased him. They ran around the playground, smiles on their faces and light in their eyes. Just when it seemed like it was finally time for the redhead to be tagged, the other boy tripped. He still reached out and tagged the redhead, but it was with far more force than was necessary.

The redhead winced as voices flooded his head. Mad cackling boomed around his skull, echoing off the walls of his mind and rattling his psyche. The redhead fell to the ground, clutching at his crown. He tried to restrain it, he did, but the screams bled from his mouth like water from a faucet. His voice rose with the intensity, and soon he could feel naught but pain as his voice went sore.

And still, the voices would not stop.

"_Kill them._"

"_End them_."

"_They dared to harm you!_"

They prattled and screamed and begged and _demanded_ he take action. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to hurt these new friends of his. He grasped at his head, fingernails bearing into skin as he attempted to claw at his own mind. He broke skin, and blood leaked from his forehead as he trembled. Eventually the pain overcame the agony from within, and the voices finally calmed down once more.

Teal eyes opened slowly, and the boy took in the world. At first everything was blurry, what with the mixture of tears and blood clouding his vision, but eventually he had managed to take in the faces of his friends.

They were not pretty.

Gone were the dimpled smiles and twinkling eyes. No one laughed, no one played. They all stood there, shocked equally into silence as they stared at the boy bleeding from self-inflicted wounds and agonizing wails. They were no longer his happy friends who he could play with.

They were his siblings, who would avoid him at breakfast.

The boy didn't want that. He tried to make amends. He tried to plead his innocence. "Wait," he said. "This isn't me. This isn't normal." But they didn't listen. They just stood there, staring in muted horror. Seeing that words were getting nowhere, he got to his feet. He made his way over to the closest person, a girl with auburn hair, and reached out to her. He wanted to show her that he was human. He wanted to show her that he was okay.

He didn't make it three steps before the girl realized what was going on. She screamed, and the loud noise prompted everyone to action. The girl fled as soon as she could, and sure enough other kids joined in. One kid, however, threw the first clumped ball of sand he could find. It made it within three feet of the boy before a shield of sand blocked it.

"F-freak," the boy yelled, before running away as fast as he could.

And the boy, once again alone, just stood there. Tears flowing freely down his face.

He had finally made some friends, and they already hated him.

Since then he had tried his hardest to apologize. He had come bearing gifts. He had come bearing tears. He had even, after weeks of trying, managed to stop his automatic shield for a few seconds.

And it all meant nothing.

Once more Gaara was lonely.

XxX

The sun had already set by the time that the boys had finished playing. The kid with the ball had to leave first, so the game shifted to hide and go seek, and from there it naturally turned into tag. One-by-one, however, everyone had to leave, and before he knew it Naruto was the last one on the playground. He sat on top of the jungle gym, legs dangling beneath him as he stared at the sky.

The Hidden Sand Village was both similar and different than the Hidden Leaf. The streets were filled with people and thoroughfare, just like home, but where the Hidden Village had balmy afternoons full of lounging elders, the Hidden Sand had sweltering heat and rushing people shrouded in light clothing. Everyone here was economic and would get everything done in a rush so as to get out of the heat.

In the Hidden Leaf you could afford a friendly conversation and a calm attitude. In the Hidden Sand, doing such a thing would make you sweaty really quickly, which would force you to drink water to make it up. Naruto quickly learned how expensive water was. Therefore, talking and being sociable in the open was just not feasible. What Naruto thought was a nasty culture was simply people being smart.

He could respect that, even if he couldn't ignore their nasty glares at him for asking for directions. Outsiders were apparently ostracized.

And speaking of, he just couldn't get his mind off of today. The kids, who were so nice to an outsider like him, were so rude to that boy from their village. Or, at least Naruto thought that the boy was from the village. He certainly looked the part, what with his clothing.

Naruto shrugged. He decided that he wouldn't let it get him down. He cast himself backwards, draping across multiple bars, while he looked up at the night sky. Another difference between the Hidden Sand and the Hidden Leaf was that the night times were different. The Hidden Leaf was a fairly industrial city with a lot of resources. Electricity ran through the city reliably, so lights ran constantly, even at night. In the Hidden Sand electricity was a luxury, and at night the city basically shut off.

Naruto had never seen a night sky full of stars. He was used to a couple of them being out, but to see the sky peppered with them was amazing. Even now, an entire hour after they came out, Naruto still marveled at the limitless number of them in the sky. He stared up, trying to make pictures in the endless expanse, when thoughts of the red-haired boy came back. He darted up, growled, and tried to push the boy from his head. But he couldn't. For some reason the boy kept nagging at him.

Why were they so mean to him?

Urgh.

With a grunt, the blond leapt from the jungle gym. He landed in a crouch, and made his way in the general direction of where he saw the boy wander off to.

He couldn't have gotten _too_ far. The Hidden Sand was big, but it wasn't that big. He might never find the boy, but he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't at least try.

It wasn't like he had anywhere else to be.

XxX

A whole battalion of Hyuuga were tearing through the Hidden Sand Village, Byakugan active, as they searched for Naruto. Still, somehow, with eyes that could see through walls, they could not find the boy.

"How the hell can _none_ of us find him?" Hizashi snarled. Beside him Sasuke walked along at an easy pace.

"He's a devious, clever bastard," the eight-year-old sighed. "If he doesn't want to be found, no one is going to find him."

Neji and Hinata, who were following along behind Hiashi, who was following behind Hizashi, all nodded.

"Shouldn't be too hard, right Hizashi?" the Hyuuga Patriarch asked.

Hizashi bit back the curse rumbling in his throat.


End file.
